Happy Holidays from IJNR!
During the month of December, we'll be bringing you a sampler from the "Best of 2013" - a recap of some of the best stories and series of the year from our alumni. Some of them have already been featured here on the Nooze, but many of them haven't! We hope you enjoy reading, hearing and exploring these top-notch stories as much as we have.

Today we hear from alumnus Ashley Ahearn, who is based at KUOW Public Radio in Seattle and reports for EarthFix. She has joined IJNR on a couple of Institutes, and currently serves on the board of SEJ. Along with her colleagues at EarthFix, Ashley produces award-winning multimedia stories about environment and natural resource issues in the Pacific Northwest; currently their high-quality coverage of coal in the region has been causing quite a stir. Ashley is a tireless and enthusiastic reporter who does a great job of making complex environment stories accessible to the general public. She also rides a motorcycle, which we think is pretty badass.

First, you should check out this page devoted to EarthFix's ongoing coverage of coal. This project won them the 2013 Online Journalism Awards for Best Explanatory Reporting (Small), so it's definitely a worthwhile series to explore. Highlights include adocumentary, and a "Voices of Coal" multimedia series that offers perspectives from many members of the public from throughout the region.

Recent highlight stories from Ashley (some related to coal, and some not) include:

BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Dozens upon dozens of crab pot buoys dot the waters around Jay Julius’ fishing boat as he points the bow towards Cherry Point. The spit of land juts into northern Puget Sound.

SSA Marine says Cherry Point is an excellent location to build a terminal because it’s surrounded by deep water with quick access to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean. If the company has its way, up to 48 million tons of coal could move through these waters each year aboard more than 450 large ships bound for the Asian market.

But if the Lummi and other tribes exercise their treaty fishing rights, there may not be any coal ships servicing American terminals in these waters...Read, hear and see more.

Do you like what you see from Ashley? If you want more, just type "Ashley Ahearn" into the search bar here on The Nooze, and see how many more of her stories pop up! Feel free to search for any of our other alumni as well, and see what kind of Nooze you find!